I was wondering if anyone has already done any reconstructionism regarding the Picts, who I believe to be the earliest known aboriginals of Great Britain? There are theories that they came from the Basque peoples, among others. I was thinking Phonecia?
They are said to be either painted or tatooed, and most often associated with Scotland, but that could simply reflect migrations northward as more peoples invaded from the continent?
Of course I realize there is very little extant in history, but isn't that part of what reconstructionism involves, filling in the gaps, researching, etc?
Also I read somewhere that the term "pixie" might originate in the Roman word "Pict." Any info from the Fae loving people here?
Funny, just as I was researching all I could find about Picts, along comes David Franzoni/Frank Thompson's version of King Arthur (touchstone Pictures) calling them "Woads" from the dyes used in their "warpaint/camoflage," and making Myrddin their leader...
Any comments, help with research? Anybody a Pict Reconstructionist, or is that part of Druidry?
Anybody with any ideas? Any Pictish Reconstructionists? Is this part of Druidry?

Morag Elasaid Ni Dhomhnaill

July 1st, 2004, 02:43 PM

I have a website bookmarked at home that was put together by Pictish Recons. I'll post it for ya later.

Phi

July 1st, 2004, 02:49 PM

I have a website bookmarked at home that was put together by Pictish Recons. I'll post it for ya later.

Also, try looking up information on the Cruithni which was the Irish name for the Picts and Caledonii/Caledonia which was another name given them by Romans.

Morag Elasaid Ni Dhomhnaill

July 2nd, 2004, 01:57 AM

Oops, here's another link. Can't believe I forgot this one:

http://members.tripod.com/~Halfmoon/

Morag Elasaid Ni Dhomhnaill

July 2nd, 2004, 05:51 AM

http://www.pictarts.demon.co.uk/

Calyx

July 2nd, 2004, 11:36 AM

Do the Dalriada fit into Pictish as well, even though they were originally separate people? :confused:

Seems like much of the history I have seen about Picts mentions that after the Dalriada came (from Scotland, I think), that they intermingled and then are frequently mentioned with one another.

Thoughts? Clarifications?

Morag? :)

Morag Elasaid Ni Dhomhnaill

July 2nd, 2004, 11:49 AM

Here's a link that should clear it up for you: http://www.tartans.com/articles/pictdecline.html

Here's my shortened explination:

When the Ui Neill clan began taking over Ulster many of the other people in that region moved to the north-western coast and formed the kingdom of Dal Riata. The Dal Riatan's established a colony on the western coast of Britain near Argyll and also on some of the Western Isles sometime in the 4th century. There they became the Dal Riadan kingdom (notice spelling change).

The Dal Riadans were almost constantly at war with their neighbors, the Picts. The Picts usually came out of top, and in fact ruled the Dal Riadan's several times after winning battles. In 841 CE Kenneth MacAlpin managed to become king of both the Picts and the Dal Riadans. He was able to do so because his father had been the previous king of Dal Riada and his mother was a Pictish princess. As the Picts outlined descent matrilinerarly, he was able to claim the Pictish throne as well. Not that the Picts liked it one bit. Legends says that he invited all the other claimants to the throne to a banquet and had them massacred, so that none could contest him. From that point forward Alba was unified, and shortly thereafter became known as Scotland.

The Picts only emerge as a named entity during the late Roman period, I think; there is mention of pagan Picts, but most of what we know comes from the early Christian period. Before then, Ptolemy and others recorded the area now known as Scotland as being made up of several different tribal groups, like the Caledonii, Votadini (the Gododdin of poetic fame), Damnonii, Novantae, Maetae, Venicones, Cornavii and Caereni; much like the rest of Britain at the time. I think it was the Damnonii who were largely replaced/amalgamted by the Irish Dal Riada. The others seem to have eventually united into the Pictish nation, perhaps as a response to the threat of invasion.

Their aboriginal origins refers mainly to the speculation over the origin of their language, which could have been P Celtic, Scandinavian-derived or pre-Celtic; or a mixture of any, all or either. It could be that their language was Celtic, but was different to the more southern Brittonic because the mountains and general geography of Scotland made them more isolated; so the two languages evolved in different directions. The Dal Riadan's apparently needed translators when they had dealings with the Picts, but this isn't a surprise considering their own language was Irish-Gaelic based. And it certainly didn't stop them intermarrying.

As far as I'm aware, "Pict" simply translates as something along the lines of "Painted One", probably referring to their woad tattoos. I know that elsewhere in Cornwall pixies can be called pysgies, pyskies or puggies (relating to Puck, and therefore I assume puca's, pwca's or bwca's), and I think that this is where the pixie actually originates from, although some do say Scotland.

Phi

July 14th, 2004, 05:43 PM

Thanks, Seren. (doncha just hate it when you make good comments and the thread seems to have died, so no one reads?)

I appreciate your info. I didn't know about the Puck connection, so there's a new tangent for me...I do so love to follow those8O

BTW, I did read that someone experimented with woad pretty thoroughly and it did not work...
so this author says it was not woad they used for either body paint or tatoos...(another lovely tangent, why not?:whatgives)

Seren_

July 14th, 2004, 05:55 PM

BTW, I did read that someone experimented with woad pretty thoroughly and it did not work...
so this author says it was not woad they used for either body paint or tatoos...(another lovely tangent, why not?:whatgives)

:bigblue:

They apparently used a mixture of lime and urine to dreadlock their hair blonde. Care to experiment? :D

Any takers?

...Thought not...

Morag Elasaid Ni Dhomhnaill

July 14th, 2004, 06:07 PM

:bigblue:

They apparently used a mixture of lime and urine to dreadlock their hair blonde. Care to experiment? :D

Any takers?

...Thought not...

Ahhh the nicties of ancient civilization. :nyah:

Phi

July 14th, 2004, 07:14 PM

:bigblue:

They apparently used a mixture of lime and urine to dreadlock their hair blonde. Care to experiment? :D

Any takers?

...Thought not...Wow! talk about a tangent! Can I have that reference! Just to read...not to urinate/limeaid my hair, thanks...:tongueout

We follow that woad wherever that woad leads, huh?:woot:

Seren_

July 14th, 2004, 07:18 PM

My lecture notes? Sorry, that's about as specific as I can get...

I would guess it was a Classical source, Tacitus being my prime suspect. Not sure though.